Syllix

Part worm and part salamander in looks, the syllix is a highly evolved invertebrate. Its segmented body ends in a pointed tail, and its wormish head bears two wide, staring eyes and a forked tongue that flicks constantly. It has two pairs of rubbery, boneless limbs: the rear pair end in flat pads, the front pair in six small tentacles nimbler than fingers. It can crawl or slither, or walk upright on its hind limbs at half its listed speed; it cannot use weapons while crawling.

Syllix have their own tongue, and some learn common, but their hissing speech grates on other races, and their warlike reputation keeps conversations short.

They handle many weapons well with short swords and specially adapted light crossbows the favorites. They fight aggressively and exploit terrain, ship features and any other advantage. Normal morale is 13, rising to 15 during an Eruption.

Syllix are keen to take prisoners and often board ships just to seize captives before withdrawing to their own vessel. What happens next is unknown to outsiders but rumored to be monstrous: the common belief is that a developing mage-star needs enzymes from living, intelligent brains, so prisoners are held immobile, awake and often in agony for months while their brains are slowly drained.

In space they fly squidships, hammer-prowed craft, galleons and other hulls, all moved by starhelms that mage-stars power.

Syllix grow up in cramped places such as an asteroid or island and breed until their land, fleet or asteroid is bursting. Each is hermaphroditic and gives birth once it has eaten enough. In time a brood is born pale and sightless: the mage-stars. They are ordinary syllix except that, sightless, they neither study nor practice fighting, and they can innately power a starhelm. When they mature after about three years, syllix society undergoes the violent upheaval known as the Eruption.

An erupting band has one mage-star helm of starhelm rating 6, two of rating 5, three of rating 4 and so on, down to six of rating 1. Guided by these pilots, the horde bursts out into space on a rampage of raiding, looting and killing. During an Eruption they take no prisoners, gain +1 on all attack rolls, and fight at champion-level morale.

Syllix are carnivorous scavengers comfortable in almost any climate, though they favor ones rich in prey. Many islands, asteroids and small continents have been stripped bare by a swelling syllix horde during a breeding phase.